Essential Oils Diffuser Reviews

There are so many essential oils diffusers on the market today. It feels like everyone and their grandma is marketing diffusers. It can be really hard for a newbie to know which diffusers work the best (and last the longest!) This essential oil aromatherapy diffusers review will hopefully clarify the picture a little bit, and help guide you in what features you should look for when purchasing an essential oil diffuser.

Types of Diffusers

The most common aromatherapy diffusers are cold mist aromatherapy diffusers and nebulizing diffusers. They range in cost from about $20 to almost $300. Each type works on very similar principles, so your first step is to decide whether you want a cold mist diffuser (the most common and less expensive) or a nebulizing diffuser (more expensive but better for larger rooms).

Cool Mist Diffusers

Cool mist ultrasonic diffusers create a fine cool mist of a mixture of water and the essential oil(s) of your choice. They also serve a humidifying purpose, which is wonderful during the dry winter months in many parts of the country. Ultrasonic diffusers are generally less expensive than nebuluzing diffusers and include a wide variety of styles, shapes and materials. Some light up, and some have quite unusual shapes. Some have a wood base, and some use plastic.

Cool mist diffusers need to be cleaned occasionally, which is a simple enough task. They also tend to be better in smaller rooms as the mist scent is not as concentrated. For this reason, they are not as effective in larger rooms or rooms with high ceilings, unless you place multiple diffusers around the room.

Dew Drop Diffuser. This is my top choice of aromatherapy diffusers for rooms up to 325 sf. It has a wide enough base so that it doesn’t tip over, it has an optional glowing light, and produces a steady and plentiful mist. Another bonus is that for a cool mist diffuser it needs cleaning quite infrequently. It is also very sturdy-I have dropped mine (or the cats have knocked it over) about 5 times and it keeps on ticking. In the event it does break, the manufacturer, Young Living will replace or fix the diffuser, no questions asked. Superb customer service. It comes with two free bottles of oils–one Peppermint and one Tangerine.

The cost is $83.88 retail or $63.75 if you are a wholesale member of Young Living. (Note: this diffuser is included in the Premium Starter Kit if you choose to become a wholesale customer. The entire kit of 11 essential oils, including the Dewdrop Diffuser, is just $160). If you would like to buy this for $83.88 as a retail customer, simply visit this link and join as a retail customer, and then search for item #5330 and add to cart.Then go ahead and check out.

Aroma Essential Oil Diffuser. This is one of a number of very, very similar cheap diffusers sold on Amazon that come out of China. I feel like there must be a factory over there that changes each diffuser very slightly and imprints a different logo on each one. Regardless, they are all around the same price, and function similarly. They are not meant for large rooms–I use the two I own in my bathrooms, which are quite small. They also don’t last forever, so if you want to choose an eco-friendly, long-lasting option, this is not your best bet. I would say they last on average from 4-12 months before starting to make a weird whirring noise–which is really annoying. I won’t be buying them again once the two I own kick the bucket. However, when they do work, they work just fine.

Rainstone Diffuser.This is a gorgeous and sturdy diffuser is made from purple clay, and is a lot more attractive than most of the diffusers out there.

It comes with a remote control, a timer allowing you to run the diffuser for various intervals ranging from 1 to 8 hours at a time, and automatic shut-off. It has five separate optional subtle light colors and a negative ionizer. It also comes with two free bottles of essential oil (Peppermint and Tangerine).

It costs $223.36 retail and $169.75 if you are a wholesale Young Living customer. As with the Dewdrop reviewed above, you can choose this diffuser as part of your Premium Starter Kit, making the price significantly lower. If you would like to purchase the Rainstone as a retail customer, please visit this link and set up an account as a retail customer. Then search for item #5331 and add to cart. Then go ahead and check out.

Nebulizing Diffusers

Nebulizing diffusers differ from cold air diffusers in that they use NO water. This means that the vapor they emit is more dense and fragrant than cold air diffusers, but it also means that they go through oils at a much faster rate. Rather than emitting a water and essential oil mixture, they emit microfine droplets of essential oils directly into the air. They are great for larger rooms or those situations where you need a more intense experience, such as battling mold when using Thieves essential oil.

Aroma-Ace.The Aroma-Ace is a very sturdy, heavy, workhorse of a diffuser. It is not the most attractive machine out there, but it is very long lasting and is the best-selling nebulizing diffuser on the market. It does NOT have auto-off capability or timers, which I consider to be its greatest negative. Without those features, the Aroma-Ace (and the identical Advanced Aromatherapy Diffuser) will just keep going and going until..your entire bottle of oil is gone.

That said, the Aroma-Ace produces a very good scent and easily fills the entire downstairs floor of my open-floor plan home in about 15 minutes. You can set it so it will turn on for a certain number of minutes (say 5 minutes) and then turn off for a certain number of minutes, and alternate back andforth. You can also set the density of the mist from low to high. The Aroma Ace is louder than other diffusers; I compare it to the sound of a fish tank pump. If that sound bothers you, this isn’t the diffuser for you. I wouldn’t recommend its use in a bedroom for that reason.

Herba Terra Cold Air Nebulizer.This is a good choice for a very large room, and is more efficient than the Aroma-Ace in terms of the amount of oil it uses. Unlike the Aroma-Ace, it has a timer that can be set it for 1, 4 or 8 hours. The shell is aluminum. The entire device is manufactured in Japan and constructed in China. It comes with a remote control which, to my eyes, looks a little bit cheap but allows you to set the density of the spray, the amount of oil consumed and how long you want it to run for. Without this remote, the diffuser will work but you will not be able to set the different options. Unlike the Aroma-Ace listed below, this nebulizing diffuser is completely silent. It gets very good reviews on Amazon, with some people considering it the gold standard for nebulizers.

One thing I dislike about this diffuser is that the manufacturer suggests you keep the 100 ml bottle at least a quarter full. The problem with that is that most essential oils come in either 5 ml or 15 ml bottles, so it would be a challenge to keep the machine at the right level. And of course, you need to pour back any unused amount into the original bottle before swapping out an oil. In addition, the diffuser is tall and thin, which, if you have pets or kids you recognize might be a problem–too easy to topple over!

That said, this diffuser uses much less oil than its leading nebulizer competitor, so if you are in the market specifically for a nebulizing diffuser, this one is quieter and more efficient than the Aroma-Ace.

Learn More About Essential Oils

Essential oils are a really important addition to any healthy living arsenal. If you haven’t already begun using essential oils and are interested in their ability to affect your digestion, mood, sleep and other vital body functions. I highly recommend reading one of these introductory books:

Word to the wise: Many of these books are available to Kindle users for FREE if you join Amazon Kindle Unlimited with a 30-Day Free Trial. I joined Kindle Unlimited about 6 months ago and not only are there a ton of really good books that you can borrow for free for an unlimited time, there are tons of good kids’ books like Harry Potter available for free. It’s not expensive and you can cancel at any time.

28 thoughts on “Essential Oils Diffuser Reviews”

Stephanie

(June 27, 2016 - 10:16 pm)

This was very informative! I especially love the way you have broken down the different types of diffusers. I never realized that they also served as humidifiers. I wish I would have known this during the spring time, when my allergies were really kicking in. ha.. But this is just good to have in general. I was on the fence as to which one I was gonna get, but this article has helped me to finally make a decision. Thanks for sharing this awesome information!

Hillary

Graet post! I have a strong love for diffusers. I have one in my bedroom, one in each of my kids rooms and one in my living room. I have never heard of the Herba Terra Cold Air Nebulizer before. That looks really cool. Thank for the great information!

Hillary

(August 9, 2016 - 1:15 am)

I have one in each room too! And the bathrooms! A woman after my own heart 🙂

This was an excellent review on diffusers. I don’t have one yet, but I do enjoy essential oils. My fiancee and I have recently attempted making some organic beeswax candles with some essential oils in them. They smell good, but we still have to get our formulas down. Thanks for the info on the essential oils as well. There is such a huge variety of them for so many different uses, it’s easy to get a little overwhelmed. Thanks for the review!

You have offered a number of options in your article. My mum is quite elderly and suffers from breathing difficulties. What would you recommend for her?

Many thanks

Hillary

(June 28, 2016 - 12:00 am)

I recommend an inexpensive but easy to use diffuser, Dewdrop is good, and a blend called RC which stands for Respiratory Care. It is wonderful.

Farhan

(June 27, 2016 - 11:20 pm)

Hi there!

I really need this types of oil diffusers in my room. I hate using fragrant spray bottles, as the scent will not last for very long at all.

After just 15 mins, I’ll have to start spraying again. I am really looking into the cold mist diffusers, as I really can’t be bothered with changing oils too often.

Since my room is pretty small, do you think the dew drop diffuser would be ideal? Thanks for the information!

Hillary

(June 28, 2016 - 8:44 pm)

Yes, the Dewdrop is for sure your best bet!!

Melinda

(June 27, 2016 - 11:29 pm)

Hi Hillary,
Thank you for the very informative article. I have been thinking about getting a diffuser but I didn’t really know where to start. I really appreciated how you explained the difference between the two types available. I had been thinking about getting the Herba Terra Cold Air Nebulizer as I had heard some good reviews. I’m glad I read your review first. I would hate to buy it and then have my cats knock it over.

Hillary

(June 28, 2016 - 8:44 pm)

I really recommend the Dewdrop if you have animals or kids-it is so sturdy. Thank you for visiting!!

I didn’t realize there were 2 types of diffusers. Or that some of them are kinda pricey!

So I like the first one you featured. It’s a good starter, and it sounds like by getting a few, they would work even in a large room. Though none of the rooms in my home are really that big!

My favorite place for oils is the bathroom, while I’m soaking in a tub, and just relaxing. I’ll have to research your site more about the benefits of essential oils for choices in the other rooms!

Thanks for the reviews.

Roger

Matt

(June 28, 2016 - 2:21 pm)

I never actually heard of essential oils before. It seems like basically an air freshener for your house? In any case your reviews were very thorough and I liked how you showed both the pros and the cons of each other diffusers. I think I will go try this out if its not too expensive. My house doesn’t smell but it would be great to walk in with a nice aroma of natural fragrances!

Hillary

(July 1, 2016 - 3:18 pm)

Well, yes and no–the smell is certainly wonderful, but they are not just fragrance. They can help resolve and assist certain emotional and physical ailments as well–and not bad for your body, like air fresheners!

Kailey

(August 6, 2016 - 2:55 pm)

This post was so informative! I had never really heard of an essential oil diffuser before, but I have heard of the benefits of essential oils on your mind and body. This is really intriguing, I’m going to have to think about getting one of these for my apartment! Thank you!

Hillary

Jerry

(August 9, 2016 - 12:50 am)

This is just a beautiful page. The layout is clean, the content is informative. You are a very engaging blogger. I especially like the way you go into great detail on the different types of products available. I also like how you offer pros as well as cons to each product you talk about, in the interest of full disclosure. It really seems to me that you are genuinely interested in giving as much information as possible. I aspire to have a blog like this one day.

Hillary

(August 9, 2016 - 1:10 am)

Thanks Jerry for stopping by!!!

Shireen

(August 9, 2016 - 12:52 am)

Thank you for this article. I have been living in the dark ages…lol. I never knew these things exist, I currently have like 6 automatic air fresheners around the house. But to have a humidifier and nebulizer in house that gives out beautiful aroma is such a plus.

Nebulizer will be such a huge plus in my home. Thank you for all this information.

Hillary

(August 9, 2016 - 1:10 am)

Please be super careful with commercial air fresheners (the plug in ones especially). They are full of toxic chemicals, whereas using a diffuser with therapeutic grade essential oils will actually BENEFIT your health, and make your house smell beautiful too.

Wendy

(August 9, 2016 - 1:14 pm)

I love essential oils and have a few “old fashion” diffusers. You know the ones where you have the stick in them that pull up the fragrance. I flip the sticks every day to get the scent back. But now that I have seen these I will have to update what I’ve been doing. I like the idea that it helps to add humidity to the air. My skin gets so dry in the winter and I use a humidifier in my bedroom. One of these may be a better option.

Hillary

(August 9, 2016 - 1:17 pm)

Yes, the new ones out there are amazing and really fill the room with a great smell-both therapeutic and soothing! Thanks for visiting my blog.

Debra

(August 9, 2016 - 4:09 pm)

I have a couple of questions. First, I’m into all-natural things for my home. Which diffuser (if any? all?) would be considered all natural, meaning it’s not putting out any chemicals that we’re inhaling? I also wonder if you might know anything about how these affect pets. I know dogs’ and cats’ sense of smell is way, way stronger than ours – I wonder if these scents are irritating to pets?

Hillary

(August 10, 2016 - 12:39 pm)

I have five pets (cats and dogs) and diffusing oils is absolutely fine for them. I only apply a few oils topically for my dogs’ anxiety. For the diffusers you want to be sure to get one that is made from non-BPA plastic, so you’re not emitting any weird chemicals in the air along with the oil. All the Young Living diffusers are made from non-BPA plastic.

lifebeginswithyourhealth

(August 13, 2016 - 2:34 pm)

I enjoyed reading your article on essential oil diffusers, I do not have any diffusers myself. I do use the essential oil candles regularly and like them very much.

How long have you been using diffusers yourself, what are some of the health benefits using essential oils?

What are some of your favorite oils for anxiety and depression?

Kristin

(September 17, 2016 - 6:11 am)

I’m so glad I found this article. I’ve been searching for a good “side by side” review of diffusers. I like the looks of some more than others but I guess it’s not really about the look but more the quality. I’m happy I came upon your site to help make my decision. Thanks for sharing the good information.

Andrea

(November 12, 2016 - 4:40 am)

What are your favorite oils to diffuse? I love to diffuse lavender, sandalwood and rose. I also love cinnamon and lime. Essential oils are so versatile and their scent really does effect the mood of the room. A bathroom will smell clean and fresh with pine or rosemary, a bedroom can be a calm place with frankincense, a study can be an invigorating room with lemon, a kitchen can smell of comfort food with vanilla.

Heather Montgomery

(November 17, 2016 - 12:32 pm)

These are all really cool diffusers!! The Rainstone is definitely on my next “purchase” list. I am just using a cheap Amazon diffuser that actually works quite while and has color changing lights, but I’m looking for a few extras to scatter throughout the house. So glad I came across your review!

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My name is Hillary, and I am the founder of Eco-Friendly Girl. I live in Stuart Fl and am a wife, mom of 2, acupuncturist, animal-lover and researcher of all things supposedly natural. I believe we are here on Earth to fight the good fight and help our planet heal.